FULL

Dear Thomas,

Our lives are full these days.

Full of running around the apartment (with your momma getting tired far sooner than you). You are a bundle of energy, and as tired as it makes me, I'm so grateful you're so healthy and energetic.

Full of snack time; your favorites are cheese sticks, Simply Cheetos Cheese Puffs - White Cheddar, veggie straws, and dried blueberries/cherries. You've got pretty good taste, buddy.

Speaking of food, our lives are full of crunchy, sticky floors. When you're finished eating, you insist on tossing all your un-eaten food onto the floor. Your sippy cups, too. Your dad and I are trying to teach you to not do that, but you're not taking to the idea very well.

Full of silly noises; you walk around growling constantly, and I get the impression that you love chasing Donna around the house while you growl like some sort of wild thing. I love that growl of yours. You blow raspberries all. the time. I don't mind it terribly; it's pretty funny most of the time. But I don't love when you blow giant, slimy raspberries at church. It's very distracting to everyone within earshot. You've always been quite "verbal," but it's happening more regularly these days. You jabber frequently, and often with passion. Also, you make this little bubbly sound with your lips, and it sounds exactly like the flying car from The Jetsons. Oh, Tommy, it's really cute and pretty hilarious.

Full of little tantrums. I'm not sure what sets you off half the time, but you sure do let us know when you're even the teensiest bit annoyed. You typically have utter disregard for the word "no," but sometimes you start to cry when we say it, as if we've physically harmed you. It's the saddest thing, and I promise I don't say "no" just for fun.

Full of messes. You're like a tornado, my boy. This might be the hardest part of my life right now--but  I'm pretty sure it's your favorite part. I'll start cleaning up one of your messes, and just as I'm finishing, you look over and remember how fun that thing is to play with, and you mess it up again while I'm straightening up another one of your messes. It's a vicious cycle. And know this, Thomas, I'm going to teach you to clean as soon as possible. And one day when it makes legitimate sense, you won't get to play with another toy until your last toy is cleaned up. I'm looking forward to your future help on this, kid.

Full of fatigue, especially on my end. We had you sleep trained for a handful of glorious weeks, and then you got sick with croup, and teething hit full-force, and it all fell by the wayside. Most nights, you wake up at least twice, screaming for a binky you can't find + demanding snuggles. I know I need to just start retraining you to self-soothe and all that crap, but I'm so tired right now that it's easier to bring you to bed until you're calm and then put you back in your crib. I'm determined to kick sleep training into high gear over Christmas break.

Full of no-no's and redirection. You, my young lad, get into everything lately, most especially the books in the bookcase in the front room. And the Lazy Susan in the kitchen. And the dishwasher (turning it on whenever you see fit). The list goes on, bug. We've taken to closing all the doors to keep you from making messes in all the rooms, but we don't have a kitchen door, so we have to redirect you all. the time.

Full of giggles. You've got the greatest laugh, and it's my favorite sound in all the land. I can't make you laugh nearly as hard as your dada can, but anytime I hear you giggle, I melt on the spot.

Full of story time. I love that you love books! One of my favorite things is having you sit on my lap while I read to you. You snuggle in and you actually sit still for a spell, and I swear it's like magic. Dada has started reading The Chronicles of Narnia with you, and it's just so precious to see you sit on his lap and listen to his voice while you stroke your Giraffey's tail. Let's keep this up, okay, baby dude?

Full of snuggles. This is amazing and wonderful. You were born an anti-snuggler, and now you enjoy cuddles. I didn't know a baby could switch, but you did, and I adore when you put your head on my shoulder and softly pat my back. You're a good cuddle buddy.

Full of love. You are the sweetest little boy. You've taught me that it's possible to both be frustrated by and super smitten with a tiny human in equal measure. You've stretched me in so many ways, including my heart and capacity to love. You're my best little buddy and I thank my lucky stars that I get to be your Momma.

You are full of such intelligence, I can see it in your eyes. You're nervous around crowds and you definitely have your favorite people (and giraffes), but you have such a capacity to love.  Keep your spunk and determination. The world is your oyster, bubba, and you'll go far.